Army General Confirms Military Helicopter Lost Contact, Causing Two Commercial Planes to Perform Go-Arounds at Washington National Airport
According to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), two commercial planes, a Delta Air Lines Airbus A319 and a Republic Airways Embraer E170, were instructed to perform go-arounds at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA) on May 1 due to an inbound U. S. Army Black Hawk Priority Air Transport helicopter.
Brig. Gen. Matthew Braman, director of Army Aviation, has stated that the military air traffic controllers lost contact with the Black Hawk helicopter for 20 seconds due to a temporary control tower antenna being placed in the wrong location. This caused confusion and led to the Delta and Republic planes being told to perform go-arounds.
The antenna, which was set up while a new control tower was being built, has since been relocated to the Pentagon rooftop. However, FAA officials have reportedly told Braman that the data received from the helicopter’s location was inconclusive, varying up to three-quarters of a mile.
The Army claims that the helicopter, which was not carrying any passengers, was continuously broadcasting its location via its Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) Out system. Despite this, the go-arounds were still performed “out of an apparent abundance of caution.
This incident occurred less than a month after the FAA increased staffing and oversight for the DCA air traffic control team. The Army has stated that it supports ongoing efforts to modernize air traffic systems, including initiatives led by Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to address “inconsistencies caused by legacy technologies.
In response to the incident, Duffy expressed frustration and emphasized the importance of safety, stating that “safety must ALWAYS come first. ” He also announced plans to build a new “state-of-the-art” traffic control system to improve efficiency and reinforce safety.
The NTSB is currently investigating the incident and the FAA has not yet commented. The Army has stated that it is committed to safe and professional aviation operations and is working closely with the FAA to update procedures before resuming Pentagon flight operations.
In summary, an Army general has confirmed that a military helicopter lost contact with air traffic controllers, prompting two commercial planes to perform go-arounds at Washington National Airport. The incident has raised concerns about the need for modernization of air traffic systems and the importance of safety in all airspace operations.